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    A new website predicts the best time to book a cruise

    Buy now or wait for a better price? Cayole.com is a travel agency that uses seven months' worth of pricing records to help you make an educated guess about whether a cruise is likely to go up in cost in the "short- to medium- term." Its predictions are similar to the forecasts that bing.com/travel provides for airfares.

    By Sean O'Neill, For more money-saving advice, subscribe to our newsletter

    Cayole
    Price history for a 10-day cruise between Orlando and the Bahamas on the Coral Princess in February. (Cayole)

    For example, the site predicted on Sunday that prices for ocean-view cabins on four-night Bahamas cruises from Orlando, Fla., on the Royal Caribbean Monarch of the Seas are expected to go down in the short- to medium term. That would mean a likely drop from their present prices, which start at $299.

    Caveat: Cayole covers only about 6,500 cruises, all of which depart from the United States.

    It's also worth noting that specialized travel agents still have access to more inventory and discounts for cruises than any website. That said, more and more online tools are empowering consumers to make savvier decisions.


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